Hiking Bowen Lookout & Yew Lake in Cypress Park
Contents
Bowen Lookout & Yew Lake Hike Information
Difficulty: Very Easy
Distance: 4.5Km
Elevation Gain: 150m
Highest Elevation: 1,040m
Average Gradient: 6.67%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Very Low / Low
Time Needed:
– Slow: 2 – 3 Hours
– Moderate: 1.5 – 2 Hours
– Fast: 1 – 1.5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: No
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Bowen Lookout & Yew Lake Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°23’43.6″N 123°12’13.2″W
Bowen Lookout & Yew Lake Overview
Bowen Lookout is a viewpoint in Cypress Provincial Park offering great views over the Howe Sound and Bowen Island, hence the name. It’s a short, easy hike with little elevation that many people opt to tack onto their trip to St. Mark’s Summit, Eagle Bluffs or even Unnecessary Mountain, though if you’re looking for something quick and easy it’s a worthy little stop in itself.
If hiking this alone without continuing further afield, the nearby Yew Lake is a worthwhile addition, adding basically zero elevation, minimal distance and offering a nice stroll next to a lake and through some marshland.
At just 4.5km the entire loop can be completed in under 2 hours comfortably, making this a great little hike near Vancouver without requiring a lot of time or effort. Personally, while I generally don’t do such short hikes, I find this is a great “introduction to hiking” for anybody new to it or perhaps somewhere to take somebody who isn’t typically into hiking but wants to see some nice views.
This is also a great winter option for somebody who might be new to winter hiking, or just wanting to see some snow without putting in much effort. It’s also a good spot for sunrise or sunset since you are never too far away from your car.
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Is Bowen Lookout & Yew Lake worthwhile?
Many people scoff at easy hikes like Bowen Lookout, particularly those inclined for extremely difficult backcountry hikes. While I enjoy very difficult hikes myself, every hike has its place and this ticks many boxes.
It’s an easy hike, has a nice view & it’s close to the city. If you want to quickly get some fresh air and exercise with a nice viewpoint in a short amount of time, say after work, Bowen Lookout is ideal. Is it something I would do on a prime blue sky day in the summer? Well, not at all, but it’s definitely worth it for a quick outing or added on to one of the many other hikes in this Cypress Provincial Park.
How difficult is the hike to Bowen Lookout & Yew Lake?
Bowen Lookout & Yew Lake is a very simple loop on well maintained trails with excellent signposting. While the average gradient and elevation gained is pretty tame overall, don’t make the mistake of thinking this is all a walk in the park. There is a 500m section of this hike that is actually pretty steep. When I was rushing to the lookout for sunrise I was actually pretty out of breath during this stretch.
From a technical standpoint this is as basic as it gets with well maintained trails throughout. If going in winter though, the trails will be icy and microspikes are strongly recommended. Snowshoes are rarely ever needed as the trail is usually well trodden.
Bowen Lookout & Yew Lake Route Information
Hiking Eagle Bluffs via Black Mountain in Cypress ParkBeginning at Cypress Creek Lodge you will walk to the north end of the lodge where there is an information board for the ski runs. Going left of this board you’ll take a trail that’s heading towards one of the ski lifts. Just before this lift the trail will head off to the right where you’ll immediately come to a junction, you’ll want to go straight rather than left before coming to another junction, at which point you’ll turn left, following signs to the Yew Lake Trail.
This trail will be pretty open and largely flat, meandering next to bushes and trees. After a few hundred meters you’ll pass by an open marsh area that certainly made for some nice photos in the snow but likely isn’t very interesting in the summer. Soon you’ll reach a junction where going straight will continue to Yew Lake and going right to Bowen Lookout. We’ll start off at here, so head right.
Following this trail you will briefly go into a forest and the trail splits. You can go either left or right as you will just be looping back onto the same trail shortly after. After leaving the forest again you’ll now come to another junction which should signpost the trail towards Bowen Lookout. Heading left on this trail now the climb will begin, albeit gradually.
After a couple of hundred meters more the trail will climb steeper and you’ll now be at that 500m section that is pretty steep. The trail will become switchbacks at this point, with little to see and not much to do except grind up. This 500m stretch will climb around 100m in elevation, so a gradient of 20%. That’s pretty steep for any hike so don’t take it lightly. Still, 500m is brief and after 10 minutes or so you should be at the top of this section and close to Bowen Lookout now.
You’ll soon reach another junction, where going right the trail will continue deep into Cypress Provincial Park towards St. Marks Summit and beyond. We’ll be going left to Bowen Lookout though, which is just a few hundred meters and downhill from here. Soon enough you will reach Bowen Lookout where you will be greeted with a beautiful view over the Howe Sound, Bowen Island and the Sunshine Coast.
After taking some photos and perhaps having a snack, it’s time to head back the way you came, descending the steep switchbacks heading towards Yew Lake. From the switchbacks you retrace your steps back through the short forest loop and past the marsh. Just make sure to follow the signs to Yew Lake, it should be well signposted throughout.
Soon enough you’ll be back at the junction where you split to go to Bowen Lookout instead of going straight to Yew Lake. Now we will take the other trail towards Yew Lake. Following this trail will take you through some more open marshland, which had some nice snowy patterns when I was there, before reaching the north tip of Yew Lake.
When I was there pretty much the entire lake was covered in snow, with just a few sections that weren’t. It was still nice but if you want to see the lake you’ll have to go earlier than I did (December), but then again you’ll miss out on the lovely snowy terrain if you go early so it’s a toss up really.
Continuing on, the trail simply follows the shoreline of the lake for a few hundred meters, offering various spots to sit and enjoy the views. I’ll be honest, it was a nice quiet stroll with lovely views, very different from my usual hikes but pleasant nonetheless. Sometimes it’s nice to just slow down and appreciate your surroundings rather than haul ass up a mountain.
Shortly you’ll be at the end of the lake where you now simply continue on the same trail back to where you started at the ski lift, just a few hundred meters more. You will pass a junction on the way to the right that goes up Black Mountain/Eagle Bluffs, which I actually added to my day and is a great (but much harder) hike in the area. Ignore this junction if you don’t intend on going and simply head back to the Cypress Creek Lodge.
When should I hike Bowen Lookout & Yew Lake?
Bowen Lookout is a year round hike. You can really go whenever you want but if you like snowy terrain without a lot of effort to see it, I’d save it for the winter. In the summer there are far better hikes to be doing than this, but that being said if you just want a quick hike near the city Bowen Lookout fits the bill nicely.
I went at sunrise in the winter which I found to be great, though you have to be careful with gate hours as when I went the gate only opened at 7am and I had to run to Bowen Lookout for the 7:45am sunrise. Sunset is another option of course.
Top Tip
I like to combine Bowen Lookout with one of the many other hikes in the area. It’s almost directly on the route to St. Marks Summit so that’s an easy one to tack it onto, but Mount Strachan, Unnecessary Mountain and even Eagle Bluffs are all nearby as well.
I prefer to go in winter if just doing Bowen Lookout as it’s a nice winter wonderland stroll. In the summer I am more ambitious than this and generally aim for much more challenging hikes.
This is also a great option for an evening hike in the summer after work if you just want something quick and easy.
